Taya Kyle Condemns Graham Platner’s Remarks on Late Husband Chris Kyle

Taya Kyle, the widow of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, has publicly criticized Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner for his recent remarks, which she labeled as ‘cowardly’ during an appearance on ‘The Sunday Briefing.’ She expressed her disapproval of what she described as a ‘cheap political trick’ that negatively impacts Gold Star families.

During the discussion, Kyle emphasized the immense sacrifices made by military members, highlighting the importance of supporting military marriages. Platner’s comments included allegations against her late husband, suggesting he inflated his kill numbers by shooting innocent civilians, prompting Kyle to take a firm stance against him.

Kyle stated, “Nothing says, I want attention more than disparaging a national hero who’s also dead. It is cowardly, it’s lowbrow to lie about somebody else, and it distracts from what you’ve probably said.” She accused Platner, a contender against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, of using a calculated tactic to gain attention through association with her husband.

Platner’s comments originated from a 2024 episode of the ‘Green Beret Chronicle Show,’ where military affairs were discussed. He suggested, “His stories about how many people he was shooting certainly tracked with the behavior I witnessed, and people I knew witnessed down at the Gov Center, which is it’s relatively easy to get high numbers like that if you’re a little less discriminating your fire than say a more professional unit would be.” Kyle finds Platner’s approach troubling and indicative of a lack of leadership character.

In another controversy, Platner has faced backlash over a resurfaced Reddit post where he demeaned a soldier wounded in a clash with Taliban fighters, stating, “Dumb motherf—– didn’t deserve to live.” This post attracted criticism from Robert O’Neill, the U.S. Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden, who deemed Platner’s comments “way out of line.”

Platner, a Marine Corps veteran, has attributed his contentious social media posts to his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite this explanation, O’Neill challenged Platner’s reasoning, arguing that PTSD is not a valid excuse for expressing “vile hatred.”

Fox News reporters Andrew Mark Miller and Taylor Penley contributed to this coverage.